What you must know about his dating history

'Let's not dwell on the past' - you may be tempted to say these words to the guy you are dating, with reference to his dating history. That may make you appear to your date as being considerate and open-minded, but, trust us, knowledge of his past relationships can reveal a lot about him and can even shed some light on the future of your relationship with him. As they say, history can repeat itself in uglier forms. Of course, you need not start snooping on him right away - that amounts to prying into his life. Ask him direct questions or use tact and diplomacy - no matter how you ask him questions about his past relationships, here's what you must find out:

Why did he break up?If he has had several relationships, try to find out what caused the breakups in the first place. Maybe, you'd spot a pattern. In other words, the reasons for breakups can reveal a lot about his personality and what his relationship goals are. For instance, did he part ways with his ex because he wanted to avoid commitment? Is that the case for all his past breakups?

How did he break up?This can also reveal a lot about his intentions. For instance, has he ghosted someone? Has he wilfully broken someone's heart? Have all his past relationships ended on a note of acrimony? Find out.

What he says about his ex-esDoes he badmouth them? Does he bodyshame them? Does he talk fondly about his exes? Or does he talk about his ex-es quite normally, without being dramatic? Such a discussion will help you gauge, say, whether he's a misogynist or whether he still has feelings for his ex.